While in school and college we get the opportunity to meet many people from different backgrounds and cultures. Making friends, as well as having foes, is a part of student life. You get along well with some and you want to avoid others at any cost, isn’t it? Well, the good thing abouthaving people with whom you click is that such anassociation can have multiple benefits for those nvolved. One can find great relief from sharing the woes of teenage and adult life with friends. You share ideas with your friends,brainstorm with them and improve yourself. You also learn many things from each other about a vast number of things. One important thing that can result from a good friendship is a study group. A student's days are filled with study and more study. In such a situation at times, studying by yourself can be hard and can get boring. This is where a study group comes in. Whether you are working on projects, preparing assignments, creating presentations or getting ready to face the exams, you definitely stand to benefit from a study group. A study group doesn’t have to be a big group of people sitting together and cramming. A study group is made up of people who are willing to meet regularly and discuss common subjects or share work. Discuss with your friends the purpose of your group. Do you want help with your homework or to discuss problems?
Here are a few important things to keep in mind while makingyour study group: 1. Limit the number of people you want to include in your study group.
1.A group of three or four is sufficient. The bigger the group, the higher the noise level and the chances of distractions and difficulty in coordinating with everyone.
2. Try and make a group of people who motivate and inspire each other.
3. It is a good idea to involve attentivestudents, not just your chums, in the group.
4. Try and stick to a study space that has a minimum number of distractions. A serene environment where no phones are ringing constantly or TV blaring is a good idea.
5. Try spacing the meetings to begin with, say twice a week. If you find that things are going in a positive direction you may decide to meet more frequently.
6. Exchange contact details with your study group members.
7. Plan your day’s work. It is a good idea to divide work between members beforehand so that everyone can comeprepared.
8. Fix a day for quizzing each other.
9. Make debates and questions an integral
part of your study group routine.
10. Plan for five-minute breaks at a couple of intervals.
11. A study group will be effective if all the members cooperate and come with an understanding that this is where they learn together. It should be clear to all the members that the study group is not a place for sharing gossip, gigglingor non-serious discussions. Hence it is important that you involve people other than just your friends in the group (Read point number two and three again )